Football
Dermot Corrigan, Madrid correspondent 7y

Real Madrid's Pepe facing month out with hamstring injury

Real Madrid's injury worries have increased with Pepe facing about a month on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.

Pepe, 33, limped out of Saturday's 4-1 La Liga win at Alaves after suffering the injury early in the first-half -- and he now joins Sergio Ramos, Casemiro and Luka Modric in being unavailable unavailable for selection.

Confirmation of a "grade 2" injury came in a Madrid club statement released after tests were carried out on Monday morning.

"After tests carried out today on Pepe, he has been diagnosed with a grade 2 muscle injury in the femoral biceps of his left leg," the statement said. "His recovery will continue to be monitored."

The Portugal international will now miss his country's upcoming World Cup 2018 qualifier against Latvia, while reports say that the injury is serious enough to make him very unlikely to feature in the derby match against Atletico Madrid on Nov. 19.

Zidane now has only two fit central defenders in Raphael Varane and Nacho for this week's trip to Legia Warsaw in the Champions League and Sunday's La Liga game at home to local rivals Leganes.

Club captain Ramos will be hopeful of stepping up his recovery to be back for the game against Atletico on the return from November's international break.

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